At Wednesday's Society of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center 4th Annual Associates Luncheon, the cause was just and the style was sensational. With Salvatore Ferragamo's spring '12 collection providing a backdrop of colorful animal-print fashions, attendees toasted soliders in the fight against cancer while flaunting their Ferragamo (and maybe had a glass of wine or three two). But amid all the plaudits and fab people, we also learned a lesson. Take a look at the Foundation Chair – and one of our fave fashion folks – Nina Garcia's combo of not one, but two leopard-print pieces right next to each other. It's a total styling no-no that she completely pulled off with denuded colors and – almost impossibly – a grey-print skirt to balance it all. We can only wish we had her ballsy style instincts. Two animal prints. Three patterns. It's a hell of a balancing act from one of fashion's better tightrope walkers.

Photo: Joe Schildhorn/BFAnyc.com/Courtesy of Salvatore Ferragamo.

It can be argued that It bags are christened partially due to the efforts of street style photographers whose selective lenses pick out the Pandoras from the no-namers. And when it comes to the picking and choosing, one of the photographers with the keenest eye is Tommy Ton of Jak & Jil. The lensman recently teamed up with Club Monaco, to create a mini-line of bags that'll include a men's backpack and women's messenger bag (though no sales rep is going to stop us from rocking that rucksack…).

Tommy will be shooting his favorite subjects in New York and Europe Fashion Weeks this month and will present the collection of photos in a gallery on March 19, in NYC. Retailing for $198 to $225, the line of bags will go on sale in Club Monaco stores on March 20. So far, no images have surfaced of the messenger bag, but Tommy was spotted sporting the backpack himself yesterday. Watch your back, Ton, because we're coming for your bag! (WWD)

Photo: Via SartoriallyInc

In her latest attempt to distract us from her confusing SNL performance, Lana Del Rey has been sporting a glittery gold cap on one of her canines. And no, we don’t mean her dog has a cute sparkly hat. We mean this girl is actually attempting to rock tooth bling. Naturally, this comes on the heels of many other aesthetically questionable decisions, one of which was letting her PR team run wild with her “gangsta Nancy Sinatra" image (we would also include the lip enhancement, but the truth is that those pumped lips gave her an edge). Sure, we can’t fault a girl for chasing her dream, and what a beautiful dream it is — making it in a "Hollywood Sadcore" world that is one, big, hazy '70s trailer park where everyone is devastatingly sexy and the sunlight is always warm and yellow (sigh). But, in all honesty, her attempt to rock a golden tooth is not quite the path we would have chosen for ourselves. How do you feel about the bling? Is it a bold move that deserves some praise, or perhaps just an attempt to gain some attention? (Huffington Post)

Photo: Via Huffington Post

It's easy to get wrapped up in coupledom, especially around V-Day. But what we find even more interesting than forced, candle-lit pair-ups are the women whose full lives don't revolve around an S.O. In honor of the ladies WE love, we've profiled 25 ass-kicking gals with careers, points of view, and style that make our hearts really skip a beat.

Whether you want to impress someone special or just treat your friends/coworkers/neighbors to something delicious, there's no secret weapon as powerful as an insanely good dessert that looks like you went to pastry school. We're talking eye candy, here — literally. To hook you up, we convinced some of the city's best bakers — from professional pastry gurus to part-time domestic goddesses — to share their recipes for some of the most gorgeous treats we've ever seen. Baking for a health-conscious date? A dozen deserving colleagues? Your fashion-loving besties? Yep — one (if not all) of these recipes will definitely make it into your after-dinner arsenal.

Photo: Courtesy of Apollinas

Fashion-forward baker and blogger Apollina Spoto whipped up this citrus cake with lemon curd filling, inspired by Stella McCartney's spring '11 collection, and we're in awe. Light and perfect for spring, this confection is covered with slices of fresh citrus fruits, which is handy for those of us who aren't exactly artistes with the frosting.

Stella Cake
For the citrus cake:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pans
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus more for the pans
Grated zest of two oranges
Grated zest of two lemons
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup whole milk

For the lemon curd filling:
4 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

For the fresh orange-lemon frosting:
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
16 ounces confectioners’ sugar (about 3 3/4 cups), sifted
Pinch of salt

For the decoration:
Blood oranges or small grapefruits, regular oranges, lemons, and limes, cut in slices and halved. (On the edges, you can drape the whole slices of fruit.)
Fresh mint

For the cake:
Heat oven to 350°F. Butter two 10" round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment, butter again, and dust with flour. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. Beat butter and sugar on medium-high until fluffy, about two to three minutes. Mix in grated orange and lemon zest. Beat in vanilla, then add eggs one at a time. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three parts and the milk in two parts, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix just until combined — don’t over-mix. Divide batter between cake pans, leveling the top of each. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 20-22 minutes for a 10" pan. Cool the cakes in the pans for 15 minutes, then turn out onto racks to cool completely.

For the lemon curd:
You can find lemon curd at most grocery stores and specialty markets, or you can make your own. In a heatproof bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt. Add the butter. Set the bowl over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture has thickened to the consistency of mayonnaise, about 15 minutes (but it might take longer — keep whisking!) Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Place a piece of parchment or wax paper directly on the surface of the lemon curd and refrigerate until completely cool, at least two hours and up to two days.

For the frosting:
Beat the butter and lemon zest on high until light and fluffy, about three to five minutes. Add the orange juice. Reduce mixer speed to low. Gradually add sugar, then salt, and beat until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Transfer one of the cooled cakes to a plate and spread with the lemon curd. Top with the remaining cake and refrigerate for 30 minutes to set. Then frost the cake and decorate with the fresh mint and sliced fruit.

Single, married, shacking up, eternally pining — life can be challenging no matter where you are in the relationship game. And while we like to think of ourselves as mighty individualists all the way, there's no denying it can be a comfort to have a solid partner in crime in your corner: Someone who loves you, respects you, gets all your secret hand gestures, and, ultimately, makes your good works in the world even that much more meaningful (and major!). So, in honor of the très corny day that delights in all things true love, we’ve gone in search of four truly inspiring couples that give the double-duty theme new meaning, sharing their lives and their creative inspirations — and proving, at least in our eyes, that that whole thing about soul mates just might be true after all.



Lola Albright, actress and model, and iO Tillett Wright, artist

Meeow! Lizzie Olsen gets a little cheeky for the cover of Vs. Magazine. (Fashion Gone Rogue)

Speaking of animal tendencies, some dogs (as in bulldogs and poodles) got down and dirty at yesterday's Vice party. We can only imagine what PETA thinks of puppy S&M, but we just hope they had a safe word. (Fashionista)

You spent a lot of dough on that Louis Vuitton bag, so get to know a little bit more about its legendary heritage, courtesy of our girl crush, Susie Bubble. (Style Bubble)

Would you throw down almost $1,000 for this black canvas backpack from Givenchy? We definitely balk at the price tag, but also secretly wish we'd had something this chic to tote around our chemistry books, back in the day. (Highsnobiety)

Apparently 43% of single women in England carry sexy panties in their purse, in case they go on a successful date and want a little hanky panky. What about, you know, just wearing sexy undies on a date? (Jezebel)

Can you feel it? Sure, your nose is still cold, but that weird, yellow ball in the sky is shining a bit more these days. Yep, spring’s sunshine is marching closer, so style blogger Alicia Lund of Cheetah Is The New Black is shedding a little light on her winter grays. Pairing her muted, cold-weather jeans with a delicately light rose Pure V-Neck Pocket tee and a pastel Twill Military Jacket, both from Gap, is a great way to warm up for the transitional season. Those eye-catching animal-print heels don’t hurt either. Grrrr! Check out more ultra-creative looks from Refinery29, our style-blogger friends, and Gap, at the new Styld.by.

It's been 10 years since one of our faves, Alice + Olivia, launched their brand and they're going back to their roots… pants! To celebrate their decade milestone, Alice + Olivia launched their first ever global ad campaign in (where else?) the heart of Times Square, called "Get Into Our Pants". And, don't mind if we do! If you've noticed the matchbooks, coffee sleeves, bumper stickers, and condoms with the brand floating all over the city, you'll know this feisty campaign is really not meant to be subtle. Its cotton candy colors, neons, retro stripes, and bold florals grab our attention just as much as the tagline, and when you have Chelsea Tyler, (daughter of Steven Tyler) at the center of the campaign, how could the photos not turn heads? Oh, and not to mention their pants are uh-mazing? So, sure, we'll be happy to get in them.


Photo: Courtesy of Alice & Olivia

The Levi's flagship in San Francisco is saying hello to 2012 with a makeover of sorts, thanks to the addition of the first-ever fully actualized Made and Crafted concept space.

Envisioned by Ben Phillips, the Global Brand Presentation Manager for Levi's XX, the new permanent shop-in-shop on the first floor of the company's Union Square store is a place that showcases the higher-end line, along with select third-party goods that share a similar design sensibility.

Filled with Levi's top-tier garments, such as short-run, hand-finished Italian leather jackets, cashmere-cotton blend knits, indigo-dyed button-downs with buffalo horn buttons, U.S.-made denim, beautiful leather totes, and more, this shop is the first of its kind "in the world," says Phillips, who gave us a first look around the space.

"On one side of the first floor, you have a section devoted to the evolution of the 501, starting in the 1800s," he says. "And on this side, it's all about the next chapter for Levi's."

The impressive space, filled with hand-crafted everything, courtesy of Phillips and local furniture-maker Sebastian Parker (he did the interiors at Bar Agricole), features custom furniture and lighting, rugs made out of hand-knotted strips of vintage Levi's scraps, plus cool curated goods and gifting items like Japanese stationery, high-quality graphite pencils and erasers, memo pads, locally crafted In Foire perfumes, wallets, scarves, and other accessories by Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons. Take a virtual tour of it all after the jump.

Photographed by Gina Esposito

Has it already been five years since the Bon Iver swoonfest began? The indie-crooner seemed to go directly from a cabin in Wisconsin to a Kanye collaboration, and is now staring down a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist (and stirring up a little controversy along the way).

Chattanooga, Tennessee isn’t exactly known as a hotbed for indie rock, but that only works to Moonlight Bride’s advantage. The story of life in a small town has been part of rock-‘n'-roll since since the beginning, and the open road is often just one more van-payment away. With Moonlight Bride’s “Lemonade,” you can imagine lead-singer Justin Giles wandering a townie-filled party, bored and restless as he chucks empty beer cans off the back porch. “This kids are drunk and don’t like guitars,” he laments, embodying ‘90s slacker heroes like Modest Mouse and Hum. Anything is possible, but Giles can’t do it alone, and “I’m not sure if everybody’s down” is the ultimate caveat. As "Lemonade" ends over a soaring refrain, Moonlight Bride come to an understanding: “They won’t always be around.” We're down if you are, dude.

Moonlight Bride—Twin Lakes EP
"Lemonade"



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